Driving with less audio

[SparkYellow]

My current daily driver is a 2017 mid-trim CUV with basic comfort and a few safety assist features. I decided to start lowering my standards/expectations now before Slate comes along. 😁

It took about a week to become comfortable with using only a BT speaker for music when I drive. Now I only glance at the built-in screen for mpg and potential alerts. A 10w BT unit produces enough sound for me from the passenger seat. The volume is set at low to not be distracting. My commute takes about one hour and weekend trips take up to three hours. There is plenty of time for better quality audio when I am not driving.

The choice of music was more difficult. To avoid tapping/scrolling while driving, I have to break the habit of skipping tracks and changing stations. In the future, I will learn to utilize the voice commands. Currently I run the Simple Radio app that has all my favorite stations (Hotel Costes, Pepper FM, Ruby's Diner, Swing FM and more). The goal is to not have to use a tablet.

Below is a list of some other apps/services that I considered:

Pandora (don't wanna pay)
Jango (like Pandora but free, icons too small)
Nostalgie (UI too flashy, can't save favorites)
AccuRadio (station ads)
RadioArt (too chill/calm)

I think I am ready. 😊

 

[ScooterAsheville]

I love silience. I have not turned on the sound system in a vehicle for probably two decades. I love driving with my own thoughts. My poor wife has become used to having earbuds in for her podcosts when driving with her Luddite husband.

Silence really is golden.

 

[SparkYellow]

I love silience. I have not turned on the sound system in a vehicle for probably two decades. I love driving with my own thoughts. My poor wife has become used to having earbuds in for her podcosts when driving with her Luddite husband.

Silence really is golden.

That is top-level zen! You don't even need a BT speaker. 👍👍 When I transitioned to driving manual in 2011, I stopped listening to mucic and focused on the engine sound. Then I got comfortable... I should go back! 🙂

 

[SparkYellow]

You know what, I can probably go without. For my hour-long drive earlier, I forgot to connect to BT and just left it like that. I wasn't miserable. It's one less thing to worry about.

 

[cadblu]

I love silience. I have not turned on the sound system in a vehicle for probably two decades. I love driving with my own thoughts. My poor wife has become used to having earbuds in for her podcosts when driving with her Luddite husband.

Silence really is golden.

Quite the opposite here. I desperately need the audio system to buffer some of the loud noises coming from the passenger seat (for some reason my wife is always yelling at me).

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

A quick search brings up 100s of very affordable car radios, speakers, etc. I still have my AM radio from my '69 AMC Rebel. Probably the only thing that worked well on that car. Various auto sound shops sell sound dampening mats, hide away antennas. I'm gonna be having me some fun with this.

 

[SparkYellow]

A quick search brings up 100s of very affordable car radios, speakers, etc. I still have my AM radio from my '69 AMC Rebel. Probably the only thing that worked well on that car. Various auto sound shops sell sound dampening mats, hide away antennas. I'm gonna be having me some fun with this.

Absolutely man! There's a separate thread on this forum for audiophiles and sound nerds. Hope you'll find it soon!

 

[SparkYellow]

Quite the opposite here. I desperately need the audio system to buffer some of the loud noises coming from the passenger seat (for some reason my wife is always yelling at me).

If you lower the volume, she probably wouldn't have to yell? 😁

The only other sounds I can tolerate is the GPS lady and my dog's panting. Luna is my BFF and starts panting as soon as she gets in the car. It was a sensory thing and I have tried everything.

 

[E90400K]

A quick search brings up 100s of very affordable car radios, speakers, etc. I still have my AM radio from my '69 AMC Rebel. Probably the only thing that worked well on that car. Various auto sound shops sell sound dampening mats, hide away antennas. I'm gonna be having me some fun with this.

Yup, me too; I have mine already planned out component-wise. Just need to see what Slate/aftermarket comes up with for dash mounts. Best is, Crutchfield HQ is less than an hour away from me.

 

[E90400K]

I love silience. I have not turned on the sound system in a vehicle for probably two decades. I love driving with my own thoughts. My poor wife has become used to having earbuds in for her podcosts when driving with her Luddite husband.

Silence really is golden.

My wife and I like driving around without the radio on too, but I so enjoy ICEV sounds (gear whine especially). A super quiet EV might be too silent. Hopefully the Slate will have some decent wind noise. Just sayin'